1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to seats for vehicles, and particularly to an adjustable armrest for a vehicle seat with position memory.
2. Background Discussion
Contemporary vehicle seating designs typically include a driver seat and a front passenger seat with separate seat frames in side-by-side relationship at a forward location in a vehicle passenger compartment. Rear passenger seats, located rearward in the vehicle passenger compartment, can be independently mounted on separate seat frames, or they can share a common seat frame. Known armrest designs are adjustable angularly about a pivot point on one side of a seat frame so that the armrest, when in use, is disposed at a level above a seat cushion for both the driver seat and the passenger. When the armrest is not in use, it may be tilted about the pivot point to a stowed position, generally parallel to and adjacent a vehicle seat back structure.
To accommodate easy ingress and egress as a passenger enters and leaves the vehicle passenger compartment, the armrest can be moved from a preferred active position to the stowed upward position adjacent one side of the seat upright portion of the seat assembly.
The vehicle seat typically is adjustable to suit the seat occupant's preference and to provide optimum comfort and safety for the seat occupant. The seat back can be pivotally adjusted relative to the seat cushion or the seat cushion can be pivotally adjusted relative to the seat back. The seat assembly can be raised or lowered relative to the vehicle body structure, tilted fore and aft, or moved fore and aft depending upon the seat occupant's preference. Because of the numerous seat adjustment choices available to a seat occupant, it is desirable for the vehicle armrest to have independent armrest adjustment characteristics. The preferred active armrest position for one occupant, furthermore, usually is different than the active armrest position that would be chosen by another occupant.
Known armrest adjustment structures are complex in design, awkward to use and relatively costly to manufacture for use in a high volume vehicle manufacturing facility. The adjustment structure becomes more complex if provision is made for incorporating a so-called memory feature, which would permit the seat occupant to return the armrest to a previously selected active position after having adjusted the armrest to its stowed position.